This invention relates generally to pivoting doors and is particularly directed to a snap-acting door mounting arrangement for securely maintaining a pivoting door in either a closed or an open position.
Pivoting doors are frequently used in electronic apparatus to cover a control panel. This is particularly the case in consumer-type electronic products where the controls are frequently positioned behind a movable door in order to limit access to the controls when the electronic apparatus is not in use as well as to improve its appearance. Where the door is of the pivoting type, certain design and operating criteria are particularly desirable. For example, the door should be easily installed and inexpensively manufactured. Its pivotal mounting configuration should involve a minimal number of components all of which should be low in cost and of simple design. Thus, the use of springs, magnets or latches, as frequently encountered in the prior art, is highly undesirable from the standpoint of increased complexity and expense as well as reduced reliability. In addition, a separate hinge mechanism is undesirable since this too involves an additional component, or components, with the hinge itself requiring a separate installation procedure. The pivoting door in combination with its mounting arrangement should also be easily manipulated, structurally strong, and not easily broken. Finally, the door mounting arrangement should be capable of maintaining the door in both the full open and full closed positions in a stable manner and should provide for the self-closure of the door when it is oriented in an intermediate position.
The present invention provides a hinged door arrangement particularly adapted for use with the control panel of an electronic apparatus which possesses all of the aforementioned characteristics and is comprised of just two components--a pivoting door and a support panel to which it is easily, yet securely mounted.